Vail & Summit County

Avalanche

Kreston Rohrig · Nov 23, 2019 · Vail & Summit County

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Weather

Chilly to start the day, but warmed quickly as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Surprisingly, conditions were extremely comfortable at ridgetop with calm winds and plenty of sunshine. Evidence of previous stronger winds were widespread.

Snowpack

No classic signs of instability like cracks or collapses were observed. Near and below treeline where the winds have not disturbed the snowpack, total heights range from 15"to 24" generally. In open terrain or slopes in the alpine, recent winds have redeposited the new snow into stiffer slabs on the backside of terrain features and lee slopes. Evidence of new cornice growth could be seen on many N-E facing slopes.

Avalanche

Only one small avalanche was observed near Uneva Peak. East-facing steep slope in the alpine. Looked to have failed just below the new snow and ran halfway down the path. It would have been a nasty place to take ride!